


all this time

by mysterytwin



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Fluff, KageHina Week 2020, M/M, Manga Spoilers, theyre best friends :)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:47:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24750292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysterytwin/pseuds/mysterytwin
Summary: “Hey, Kageyama. Do you believe in soulmates?”“Huh? Is this one of the things you read about online again—”“No, no, I’m serious! Like that kinda thing when you meet someone, and it feels like you were always meant to know them? Like the universe was always gonna make sure that you found each other, no matter what. That sorta thing.”“What about it, then?”“Well, I was sorta thinking—it’s kinda like us, you know?”[Written for Kagehina Week 2020 Day 1: First Meeting]
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 14
Kudos: 214
Collections: Kagehina Week 2020





	all this time

**Author's Note:**

> this is a little late but i started writing this after ch387 and never finished it until now so
> 
> the title's from all this time by onerepublic (a very kghn song)
> 
> hope u enjoy!!

When Tobio is six, he meets Shouyou.

He’s playing outside in the garden, tossing one of his sister’s volleyballs over his head. He’d just managed to consistently toss the ball ten times straight when there’s a rustling to the side. He peers over to his left, hugging the ball to his stomach. He eyes the tall tree, and finds a pair of eyes watching him back.

Once they make eye contact, there’s a small squeak, and the person ducks behind the tree, out of sight.

Tobio blinks. There’s a boy.

Hesitantly, he takes a step forward. His grandfather had told him not to speak to strangers, but maybe this time can be an exception to that. The person _had_ been watching him first, and it’d been a little strange, so he at least deserves to know why, right?

“Hello?” Tobio calls out, as gentle as he can make it. He walks a bit closer to the tree, and he can hear the sound of sticks breaking on the ground. “I already saw you, so you don’t have to hide anymore.”

There’s no reply, so Tobio takes another step forward.

“Hey, I know you’re there and you can hear me,” he says, a little bit impatiently, but also a bit nervous. Tobio’s not really used to talking to people—aside from school, there aren’t a lot of kids his age in his neighborhood, and he doesn’t have a lot of friends—so this is kinda setting him on edge a bit. “C’mon. Just come out already.”

There’s a soft sound from behind the tree. “You aren’t mad?”

Tobio blinks in surprise. He snorts. “Why would I be mad?”

“I dunno! ‘Cause I was just watching you? Isn’t that kinda creepy?” the voice responds, a little stricken.

“It’d be less creepy if you actually came out and let me see you,” he retorts. Tobio holds the volleyball a little tighter to his chest. He can do this, he can make friends. “And maybe…maybe we could play together, if that’s what…if that’s what you want.”

“Really?” He sounds hopeful, and Tobio thinks he’s making progress.

“Really,” he confirms, nodding. “So? You gonna come out or what?”

There’s a little bit more of rustling, before a boy properly steps out from behind the tree and into the light. From what Tobio can see, he’s got wild orange curls and warm brown eyes, freckles dotting over his cheeks with a band-aid stuck on the bridge of his nose. He’s a little bit taller than Tobio, too, but a lot skinnier. The boy smiles, bright and wide, and it instantly reminds Tobio of the sun.

“I’m Shouyou!” the boy says, grinning. “You’re really cool, you know! I saw you playing with your ball when we moved in next to you, but I didn’t really know how to talk to you ‘cause you had this grumpy look on your face. So I thought if I watched you for a bit, I’d be a little braver. It’s also kinda lonely playing by yourself, so I’d like to be your friend!”

“Okay,” Tobio says slowly, because his cheeks feel warm and his stomach feels fuzzy, but it’s the pleasant kind, the one that tells him something good is gonna happen. He may not know this boy, but he knows this feeling. “I’m Tobio.”

“Nice to meet you, Tobio!” Shouyou says, and he’s loud and talkative, Tobio notes, but he doesn’t really mind. The house is pretty quiet when his sister isn’t around to play with him, so it’s a good thing. Somewhere, in his chest, it feels like something important is taking root here, like a fresh beginning of something wonderful, and Tobio can only hope that it’ll last. “From now on, you’ll never have to play alone again! I’ll make sure of it.”

Tobio tries for a small smile. He likes the sound of that.

“So,” he says, holding the ball out to Shouyou. “Do you know anything about volleyball?”

* * *

“You look happy,” Kazuyo-san says when Tobio walks back into the house hours later, mud on his hands and knees. “Did anything happen today?”

For a moment, Tobio thinks to himself, and he feels something warm settle in his stomach.

“I think,” Tobio says, trying the words out. “I think I made a friend.”

* * *

“Shouyou, hurry up! You’re gonna get us caught!”

There’s a scoff and a bit of static. “I’ve almost got it, don’t worry!” Shouyou says. “And you’re supposed to say _over_ when you’re done talking. Over.”

Tobio eyes the walkie-talkie he’s holding in his hand warily. Looking around to make sure that the hallways are still empty as he stands in front of the kitchen’s entrance, Tobio clicks on the side button to speak again.

“Your mom could be back from taking care of Natsu any second, and then where will we be?” Tobio replies, a bit more quietly. This is all Shouyou’s idea, and Tobio had thought it was a good idea when his friend had pitched it to him, but now he’s starting to think otherwise. “Maybe I should’ve been the one in there instead of you.”

“No way!” Shouyou argues. “I’m faster, remember? _Plus,_ I’m taller. I can totally reach the top of the shelf. Over.”

Tobio scoffs. “Not for long. I’m gonna get taller than you one day, just you wait.”

“Ha! As if I’m gonna let that happen! Okay, wait just a sec—” Shouyou says, before his walkie-talkie cuts off. Tobio wonders if that means he’s finally accomplishing what they came for. He looks around again, making sure there’s no one in sight. The whole living room beyond him is empty, with scattered toys and other things he and Shouyou were playing around with earlier. Hinata-san is upstairs with Natsu, and Tobio’s heart beats loudly at the prospect of being caught. He doesn’t want to fall out of Hinata-san’s good graces—because as much as he won’t admit it out loud, the past two weeks of knowing Shouyou and being his friend had been incredibly fun. He’d be really sad if this were all to end.

(Though he has a feeling Shouyou wouldn’t let their friendship be over that quickly. That’s enough to reassure him for a bit.)

He clicks his walkie-talkie again. “Oi, Shouyou, are you—”

There’s a loud crash, and Tobio’s eyes widen. He enters the kitchen quickly without any second thoughts. He finds Shouyou on the ground next to the cabinets, a fallen chair on the floor next to him.

He rushes up to him. “Shouyou! You idiot, are you okay?”

Shouyou shifts a bit. Then he looks up to Tobio from where he was bent to look at the ground, and Tobio finds a wide grin directed right at him.

He gestures to the cookie jar, safely intact in his hands. “I got the cookies,” he says, still smiling, and Tobio figures that he’s mostly unhurt. “And yeah, I’m fine, don’t worry, Tobio.”

Tobio’s shoulders sag in relief. He sighs. “Okay. Well, come on, we gotta get out of here before your mom—”

“Boys! What was that?” Hinata-san calls out, and both of them freeze.

“We have to go. Right now,” Shouyou says gravely, and Tobio nods. As gentle but as fast as he can, he helps Shouyou up, and rights the chair back up. Then they make a run for it, past Hinata-san herself, Shouyou cradling the cookie jar to his chest, up to Shouyou’s room.

They close the door quickly, both resting their backs on it as they try to catch their breath. Tobio shuts his eyes for a brief second, and they both collapse on the bed.

“That was the dumbest thing I’ve ever done,” he deadpans, and Shouyou just laughs, bright and easy, almost though it’s his second language. And well, he’s learned that Shouyou’s laughter can be quite contagious, so really Tobio can’t help it, either. When Shouyou laughs, Tobio laughs right along with him.

“But it was _fun,_ wasn’t it?” Shouyou says, a bit breathy, and he turns to look at Tobio, cheeks red from the laughter, eyes sparkling.

“Yeah,” Tobio says, his heart warm and happy. “Yeah, it was.”

* * *

“I was told you got caught by Hinata-san trying to steal a cookie jar,” Miwa says, a teasing grin curved on her lips as she tosses the ball back to him in a perfect arc.

Tobio blushes, and barely manages to receive the ball well enough to send it back to her. “It was Shouyou’s fault,” he says, pouting, avoiding eye contact to watch the way red inks his skin, tiny dots of blue and purple marking the places he’d hit the ball. His grandfather told him that his body would be able to withstand it one day, built like an invisible armor. “And they were really, really good cookies.”

Miwa laughs, shaking her head, and her ponytail swishes behind her. The ball bounces on her arms once, then twice, before she sets it back into the air toward him. She’s always been better at receiving than him. “I’m sure they were,” she says, and there’s a glint in her eye—one that Tobio finds himself untrustworthy of. “You’re a bad influence on Shouyou-kun, aren’t you?”

“Am not!” Tobio argues, the warmth in his cheeks only deepening. He catches the ball with a bit of a fumble, frowning at how much more he still has to improve on. “He’s the one who came up with the idea!”

His sister laughs again, light and airy, and despite his annoyance, Tobio finds himself wishing that it could be like this all the time—this easy way of speaking between them, relaxed as they go. Miwa’s been a lot more busy lately, so she doesn’t always have time to play with him anymore. “Sure, sure,” she says. She catches the ball he throws with ease, tucking it under her arm, with a hand on her hip. Her eyes soften when she speaks. “I’m glad you made a friend, Tobio. Shouyou-kun seems like a really good kid,” she tells him. “Even when you’re causing all kinds of trouble together.”

“Yeah,” Tobio replies, choosing not to rise up to the bait of her last few words. “I’m—I’m happy he’s my friend, too.”

“Good,” she says, grinning, and ruffling his hair. He makes a sound of indignation, but she only laughs again and waves a hand. “Come on, let’s head back inside. It’s almost time for dinner.”

“Will you play with me again tomorrow?” he blurts out, almost desperate. “Please?”

“Oh, Tobio, you know I have…” she trails, guilt etching her features. His face falls when she looks at him, and she sighs, shaking her head. “Okay, you know what? After I finish my homework, I’ll play with you. Sounds good?”

“Yeah!” he exclaims, grinning.

Miwa loops an arm around his neck, an affectionate smile on her face as she ruffles his hair again, and they make their way back into the house, the setting sun on their backs. It’s a good day.

* * *

“Did you see that, Tobio? Did you see it? The ball just went _whoosh_ and the spiked jumped and hit it like _bam!_ _pow!_ That was so fast! I could barely see them!” Shouyou exclaims loudly, stars in his eyes, tugging on Tobio’s shirt as they walk along the road. He throws a hand to the sky. “I wanna be that fast like that one day!”

“You still have to practice more, stupid,” Tobio says, rolling his eyes. “And the setter was the coolest! When he did that setter dump, everyone was so surprised!”

“Their quick attack was _so cool_ ,” Shouyou says, dreamy and amazed, before his face lights up and he turns to Tobio with a wide grin on his face. “Tobio! We need to try it!”

His eyes widen. Shouyou _is_ pretty fast, the fastest Tobio’s ever seen, and if they practice enough, maybe they can make a pretty handy quick out of it.

Shouyou grabs his wrist then, pulling him along forward, laughter to the wind. “Come on! Before the sun sets and we can still see!”

Tobio lets himself be pulled along, feet moving against the pavement in a beat he’s already memorized. How many times have they done this already, he thinks, racing home as the sun goes down? He knows all the cracks in the concrete, every stone in its place.

Shouyou throws a smile over his shoulder, Tobio’s name a battle cry on his tongue, and Tobio knows that with Shouyou, he will never have to fear the end of summer.

“I’m coming!” he says to the wind, to the earth, and to the sun, reminding them of the two boys with dreams greater than the sky above. “Let’s go!”

* * *

After a volleyball match, Kazuyo-san turns to him, his eyes bright with pride, something in his words that speaks volumes of experience and hardship, having reached heights greater than the eye could see.

“You know, Tobio,” he says, and the sound of it grounds Tobio, tells him to pay attention and listen, “if you get really, really good, you’ll get to play lots of games. The best players get to play lots and lots of volleyball.”

The wind shifts, and for a moment Tobio just stands there, hanging onto his grandfather’s words, wondering where this is going, and if these words will take him any closer towards where he wants to go.

“If you get really good, I promise you,” Kazuyo-san says, bending down to reach him, a finger pointed upward to the sky. “Someone who’s even better will come and find you.”

Instantly, he sees a flash of orange, a bright smile, and a pair of wings invincible enough to touch the sun. He sees a whole world’s worth of opportunities laid right before him, a hand in his, and a promise to reach the top of the world together.

He sees Shouyou.

“Hey, Tobio! You’re back! Wanna toss for me?” Shouyou calls out from across the street, standing on his porch.

He looks up to his grandfather, and Kazuyo-san nods. “Go on,” he says encouragingly, and Tobio smiles at him gratefully.

 _Someone who’s even better will come and find you_.

 _I think he already did,_ Tobio thinks.

* * *

One day, Shouyou barges into Tobio’s room, hair messy and eyes blown wide, a light in his eyes that claims the brightest of spaces. Tobio puts the sports magazine down to look at him, knowing not to question anything just yet.

“I saw the Little Giant!” Shouyou tells him, something in his tone that tells Tobio that there’s more to it than just the name. “He was on the TV at the store! He was—he was _flying_ , Tobio! He was short, but he flew! He was the ace! He hit all the balls like they were nothing!”

Tobio realizes it then, what the point of this is. Two summers ago, he’d finally surpassed Shouyou in height by two centimeters, and ever since then, he hasn’t quite stopped growing faster than Shouyou. It’s a fundamental truth that they both know—height is important in volleyball. It gives you an advantage. And while Shouyou might not be tall, Tobio has seen him jump, has seen him reach heights that foretell of even greater ones.

“I’m going to go to Karasuno,” Shouyou says, determined, in that unshakeable way of his. “I’m going to be just like him. _The Little Giant!_ ”

In all honesty, Tobio doesn’t care much for thoughts about high school yet, but Shouyou seems to, at the least, so that’s enough for him.

He smiles. It’s thrilling, really, to see Shouyou get stubborn about something grand, like he’ll do anything to ensure that it becomes real, that he will hold it in his hands and vow never to let go. A competitiveness that Tobio sees when he looks in the mirror, except it blooms just as well inside his best friend. “Then you better get practicing then,” he says. “You don’t wanna go there with sloppy receives!”

Shouyou sticks a tongue out at him. “You wanna toss to me?”

Tobio pretends to think. “Hmm,” he says. “What will you give me in return?”

“I’ll buy you two meatbuns from the store!” he offers, holding a hand out.

“Four!” he counters.

“Three!” Shouyou says. “You _know_ I had to buy Natsu some stuff last week! You were there!”

“Fine, I’ll take it,” Tobio says, and he stands up from his bed, picking up a volleyball from the floor.

“Oh, by the way, my mom’s asking if you wanna come over for dinner,” Shouyou says, placing his belongings down on Tobio’s bed before walking back to the door and pulling it open. “Kazuyo-san and Miwa-san are invited, too, of course.”

Tobio nods. “I’ll tell them,” he says, as he puts his volleyball shoes on. Shouyou had bought him this pair for his birthday last year. “Thanks.”

“It’s no problem,” he tells him with a shrug. “Natsu’s been asking about you, anyway. We could have a sleepover, too, if you’d like!”

Tobio allows a smile to curve into his lips. “Yeah, okay,” he says, and the smile that Shouyou gives him is enough to rival a million worth of suns. “But first,” he tells him, pushing the door open. “You better not miss.”

“I won’t!” Shouyou says. “You’ll see, Tobio! I’ll become just like the Little Giant! I’ll be the greatest volleyball player in the world!”

And despite his own dreams, Tobio knows better than to doubt it.

* * *

When the time of high school applications comes, Tobio writes down Shiratorizawa at the top of his list. It’s where his grandfather went, and it’s where he wants to go. The strongest players will be there.

Shouyou, still in his boundless determination, writes down Karasuno, and leaves no room for anything else. It’s the only place he’s ever thought about, and he’ll make sure it comes true.

 _There’s a really good coach there,_ Miwa tells Tobio. _Ukai Ikkei._ Maybe that’s what Shouyou’s after, and the Little Giant’s legacy for him to follow.

When Tobio writes down Karasuno on his list, he tells himself it’s because of the coach and tries not to think about how he’d like to go where Shouyou goes, too.

* * *

“Hey, Kageyama. Do you believe in soulmates?”

“Huh? Is this one of the things you read about online again—”

“No, no, I’m serious! Like that kinda thing when you meet someone, and it feels like you were always meant to know them? Like the universe was always gonna make sure that you found each other, no matter what. That sorta thing.”

“What about it, then?”

“Well, I was sorta thinking—it’s kinda like us, you know?”

* * *

By the time he is seventeen, Tobio knows Shouyou’s house as well as his own, and if he’s being honest, has spent nearly half of his life there as his own house. As easy as breathing, he walks over to Shouyou’s house to knock on the door, waiting for someone to answer.

The door opens wide, and there he finds Natsu, her hair done in a way that tells him that Miwa had come by earlier to fix it. She stands tall enough to reach his hip now, bright eyes so familiar as she looks up at him.

She beams wide. “Tobio-chan! You’re here!”

“Hi, Natsu,” he says with a gentle smile. “Is Shouyou here? We’re supposed to go to the park today.”

That causes her to frown, and for a moment, Tobio panics. He tries so hard to stay on her good side—a success streak he’s kept for years—and he doesn’t want to set her off by saying something wrong.

She tilts her head to the side in confusion. “You’re going to the park…for a date? What kind of date is that? Shouldn’t it be fancier?”

Tobio’s eyes widen and he blushes, feeling his cheeks go warm. He stutters, “No, we’re not—just friends—um. We’re not—we’re not going on a date.”

“What? Why not? Nii-chan already talks about you all the time, and you always go places with each other,” she reasons, eyebrows furrowed, and Tobio only feels his face go warmer and warmer by every word, the tips of his ears pink. “You’ve been best friends since _forever._ And nii-chan’s always so sulky when you’re not around.”

Tobio blinks. “He…is?”

She nods fervently. “Yeah, duh. He’s always staring outside a window or looking at pictures. I think it’s ‘cause he really, really likes—”

“Okay!” Shouyou exclaims, appearing out of nowhere, clamping a hand over his sister’s mouth. “Okay, that’s enough,” he says, glaring down at his sister and subtly shaking his head. “Natsu, why don’t you go help okaa-san with dinner? Tobio and I will be back by then.”

She huffs, stomping her foot.

“Hey! Don’t lick me!” Shouyou says, wiping his hand down his shorts, eyes narrowed. Natsu only grins, and crosses her arms. She says goodbye to Tobio before leaving. “Sorry,” he says. “She’s been really weird lately. She didn’t say anything to you, did she?”

Tobio snickers. “Only that you _sulk_ when I’m not around.”

Shouyou rolls his arms and shoves his shoulder. “Oh, shut up,” he says, but there’s a smile hidden on his face. “Miwa-san told me that you get all whiny when you have no one to toss to!”

“That’s not true!”

Shouyou winks, laughing. “Sure it isn’t.”

“Dumbass.”

“Yeah, I’m stupid, but you’re stupider.” He sticks his tongue out.

“Is that even a word?” Tobio asks, and when he aims a light punch at Shouyou, he dodges it easily.

“Hm,” Shouyou says, tipping his head. “I’ll ask Tsukishima later. Maybe he knows. Anyway, are you ready to go?”

“Yeah,” Tobio says, and he holds up the volleyball in his hand with a grin.

They end up practicing serves and receives first, then receives and spikes, and finally spikes and tosses. It takes up a good portion of their afternoon, the sky changing color as they progress. Tobio’s grateful for the water bottles that Shouyou had brought along, and they call for a break when it’s nearly six, resting on the swing set, barely moving along. He’s grateful for the cool wind, at least.

“You’ve gotten a lot better,” Tobio says after a few minutes, watching Shouyou from the corner of his eye. Sometimes, it feels as though a part of him is always attuned to all things Hinata Shouyou, aware of where he is and what he’s doing despite being off the court. It has something to do with all the years of shared history they have together, he thinks, and how deep their bond must run, through the concrete and into the heavens. “Since we were kids.”

Shouyou smiles. “Well, I should hope so. We’ll be winning Nationals this year, after all.”

Tobio nods without hesitation. After how they’d lost last year, he knows that Shouyou is determined to make up for it, and Tobio will do everything he can to ensure that they take the win this year.

They sit in silence for a little more, passing breaths in between them falling in sync, its own type of back and forth. Tobio thinks of all the times they’ve done this, and how Shouyou has stood by his side for most of his days. He’s thankful, of course. He doesn’t know where he’d be if he hadn’t met Shouyou—who pushes Tobio to become better and better, who runs alongside him even when it rains. A partner, a rival, a friend. Maybe he would’ve fallen away a long time ago if it wasn’t for him.

He thinks of lifetimes, and how he is glad that he is with Shouyou in this one.

“Hey, Tobio?” Shouyou says quietly, nearly lost in the call of the cicadas. “I’ve been thinking about something.”

“Be careful.”

Shouyou rolls his eyes, and fights back a smile. “Shut up.” He places his hands on his lap, not quite meeting Tobio’s eyes. His voice goes soft again when he says, “I’ve been thinking about—about what I’m going to do after high school.”

Shouyou’s hands twist together, fumbling around, in constant motion. He’s nervous. That’s another thing about Shouyou that Tobio’s come to learn: his hands are the most expressive part of him. Even though he always wears his heart on his sleeve, when his face and words say something else, his hands always tell the truth. They show Tobio what Shouyou’s eyes and words do not.

So he waits. Shouyou always comes around eventually.

It’s a few more moments before he speaks again.

“What do you think about beach volleyball?”

The question catches him off-guard. It’s in that moment that Tobio understands what Shouyou is trying to say. They’ve always had a way of understanding each other.

“The sand will help you with your jumps. You’ll be able to go even higher, and make more use of in-air battles,” Tobio tells him, honest and sincere. “Since there are only two in a team, it’ll quicken your reflexes, and you’ll be able to do a lot more than what you’re used to.”

Shouyou nods. Still, he stares ahead, but his fingers are more relaxed now, no longer tense. That’s good.

“Brazil,” Shouyou says, voice a little louder. “I’ll be in Brazil for two years to practice.”

Tobio nods, and tries not to think about what it will mean—to not have Shouyou so easy to reach, no longer just a house away. Miles and miles of land and sea between them, the only connection through static.

“It’s a good idea,” he says, not just because he knows it’s what Shouyou wants to hear—but because he genuinely thinks so. “You should do it.”

“Yeah?” Shouyou says, looking at him this time, lips cornering upwards into a small smile.

“Yeah,” Tobio says, nodding. He offers a smile of his own, and Shouyou moves to take his hand, palms pressing together. Tobio squeezes their hands together in reassurance.

“Okay,” Shouyou says. “I’ll do it.”

Tobio’s never known him to be one to back down from a challenge, after all.

* * *

“Do you have your passport?”

“Yup.”

“Your phone?”

“Right here.”

“Your wallet?”

“In my bag.”

“How about your—”

“Jeez, Tobio, stop nagging, I’ll be fine,” Shouyou says with a lopsided smile. His suitcase stands next to him, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. The crow keychain Tobio had bought him when they were twelve hangs on one of the zippers—a reminder of how far they’ve come. “I’ve got everything, see? You don’t have to worry so much.”

“I’m not nagging,” he mutters. There’s an overhead announcement for those with a flight to Brazil, and Tobio’s heart twinges.

“Oh, just come here already, you big dummy,” Shouyou tells him, opening his arms.

Tobio steps into the embrace. “Just take care of yourself, Shou.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he says, tucking his head into the crook of Tobio’s neck. His orange hair tickles Tobio’s cheek, but Tobio doesn’t really mind, not when he won’t have this with him for much longer. “We’ll call every Friday, don’t forget.”

“I won’t, dumbass,” Tobio says, vision a little blurry with tears, but he holds them back. When he cries, Shouyou cries, too, and then they’ll both just be two teenagers crying in the middle of an airport.

Far too soon, Shouyou lets go. His expression shifts into something more set, a little stronger, defiant in its resolve to touch the sky. “When I come back, I’ll be able to defeat you.”

Tobio only smiles. He didn’t expect anything less.

“I’ll be waiting for you, then.”

* * *

When Tobio is twenty-one, he meets Shouyou again.

The lights are bright all around the court, the crowd a deafening round of cheers from each side, and the world stops spinning just a moment for Tobio to take it all in. The announcer calls their names as they walk in, _the_ _Schweiden Adlers vs the MSBY Black Jackals,_ and Tobio holds his head up in pride.

From the other side of the court, he finds Shouyou’s eyes on his.

They meet in the middle for a handshake, grips firm, a gesture so full of the many promises they’ve made throughout the years—all of it finally amounting to this moment before him. They’ve both waited for each other for so long, and now it’s finally about to happen.

_Someone who’s even better will come and find you._

Well, here they are now. Kageyama Tobio and Hinata Shouyou, together again, and ready to win it all.

It’s time to begin.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! <3


End file.
